Tag Archives: Ross Brawn

Team Principal Ross Brawn is confident Mercedes will improve before Melbourne

Despite a radically new car at the start of this month, Mercedes has so far failed to shine in pre-season testing, most days struggling in the midfield.

However, in a team Q&A session, team principal Ross Brawn claims that he is content with the team’s current form:

"We are well aware of the pace of our current car, the distance to the current front
runners and the reasons for this, which include the compromises brought about by our
cooling issues. Our intention was always to launch the car in a fairly basic
specification to allow more time to focus on the upgrade package. This inevitably
means that we look further off the pace than people might expect. Knowing all of the
facts, I am comfortable with our current position and the developments that we have
to come."

The Wo2 car is expected to recieve several large upgrades before the season opener in Melbourne. One of these is a brand new front wing, as Brawn explains:

"The front wing that we used in Barcelona will not be our final race specification
but is moving closer to the wing that we will use in Melbourne. Our previous front
wing was based heavily on the 2010 version, while the wing that we used in Barcelona
moved closer to our 2011 design. We used the opportunity to investigate and confirm
our direction before finally signing off the race-specification wing."

Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn has admitted that his team is behind in preparations for the Bahrain Grand Prix and the rest of the season, but believes the team still has a strong car.

While Mercedes has returned to F1 for the first time since 1955, they had taken over the old Brawn GP team, so it w0uld have seemed that they would have been well prepared. However, Ross Brawn says differently:

"Everyone at Mercedes GP is proud to be representing the rich
motorsport pedigree of Mercedes-Benz as we start the season as the
first Mercedes works team for over half a century," Brawn began. "In
addition, knowing that we go into the new season as the reigning
World Champions gives the team confidence and a fierce pride to
defend our position.
owever, this is a new season and a new challenge. We had a strong
pre-season testing programme with the MGP W01 but we have not quite
reached the level of preparation that we would have liked prior to
Bahrain; the car shows promise and we have a strong development
programme planned for the season but there is a lot of hard work
ahead to ensure that we will be in the fight for the title.

It’s odd to me reading this, after what happened last year. When Jenson Button won his sixth race out of 7 in Turkey, Brawn GP switched focus to their 2010 car, which would end up as the W01. Their wind tunnel (believed to be up to 5 wind tunnels) system was now completely working on the aerodynamic setup for 2010, and not the rest of the season. The wind tunnel was used for 2009 twice after this, in Valencia when Barrichello ended up winning, and near the end of the season, just to ensure that Button had a good enough car to secure the title.

Apart from these two times, the 2010 car has been developed on from June 2009 until now. So how can they say they are behind in preparations? The team say the car shows promise, rather than saying it’s good right now, which says a lot. One possible reason for this problem is a wind tunnel calibration error. I’m saying this because it happened to the team back in 2007 (when they were Honda). It’s not based on facts, but it could be a possibility.

Brawn then talked about his views on his driver line-up and the 2010 season:

"I am very pleased with how our new drivers, Michael and Nico, have
settled into the team and developed a close working relationship,"
Brawn continued. "They have really pushed the development of the car
throughout testing and they will push each other to achieve better
results on the race track.
This season should be a fantastic one for the fans, with so many
talented drivers competing and what is likely to be a very close
fight for the title between the top teams - and that can only be
good for our sport."

Mercedes have revealed the colour scheme that they will be using on their 2010 car.

It must be noted, however, that the car in the pictures is just the Brawn BGP001, repainted. The new car, the WG01 (not the RB1 as I previously said), will be revealed on 1st February in Valencia.

The car was unveiled at the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart. Drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher were also attending.

Mercedes say this about their colour design:

“The new silver and green livery creates a true marriage between the heritage of the Silver Arrows and the team’s title partner Petronas. The legacy of the Silver Arrows goes back to the 1934 Eifel Race when, on the evening before the event, the white paint was sanded off the Mercedes W25 race car to fulfil weight regulations (750kg formula) and the silver colour of the aluminium surface of the car appeared. This season, with the return of the Silver Arrows, the MGP W01 will shine in silver combined with a flow of iridescent silver and green shading. On the nose and other parts of the car, traces of black carbon fibre are visible – a reminder of the first Silver Arrow of 1934.”

“Finally the 2010 Formula One season is firing up! I have to say that I am totally committed to this new challenge. This season feels like a re-start for me and I am so motivated. We have a very exciting combination at Mercedes. We have a World Champion team in every sense of the word and I cannot wait to get into the car for the first time in Valencia. I am convinced that Mercedes will be in a very good position to fight for the championships this season and I will definitely give it a go. Driving for Mercedes-Benz again is like the closing of a circle for me as I started my racing driver career with the three-pointed star on my helmet. This is another reason why I cannot wait for the competition to get underway.”

Nico Rosberg:

“You can really feel the successful motorsport history of Mercedes-Benz here at the Museum in Stuttgart and to be part of the new Silver Arrows team and that racing heritage makes me feel extremely proud and motivated. Since joining the team in November, I have spent a lot of time at the factory in Brackley, at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth and here in Stuttgart, which has given me the opportunity to settle in and get to know everyone. I have seen how hard the team is working on the new car and I really can’t wait for the opportunity to drive it for the first time in Valencia next week. I am looking forward to working with everyone at Mercedes and will give it my all to reward their fantastic efforts with good on-track results this season.”

Team principal Ross Brawn:

“It is a privilege to be here at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart today for the official presentation of the Mercedes Formula One Team. With your first look around the Museum, you realise the fantastic racing heritage of Mercedes-Benz and we hope to be able to contribute to those successes going forward. Our team have been working extremely hard throughout last year and over the winter on the development of the MGP W01 and everyone at the team is looking forward to the start of testing in Valencia next week. We have two excellent drivers in Nico and Michael, who will form one of the most exciting and one of the best partnerships on the grid, and with the support of Mercedes-Benz, Aabar, our new title partner Petronas and all of our team partners, everyone is looking forward to the 2010 Formula One season with anticipation.”

The Mercedes chief, Dieter Zetsche, has said that it is up to Ross Brawn whether Michael Schumacher will get number one status within the team.

Over his career, Schumacher has had a history of Ross Brawn favouring him over the second driver, most notably Rubens Barrichello. The fact that Schuamcher’s team mates could not compete with him gave him a significant advantage over his career.

In an interview with Gazetto dello Sport, Dieter Zetsche said:

“We have a team manager for this. Ross Brawn is one of the best. If he wasn’t he wouldn’t have won both titles last year, despite his team being in their debut. He will decide and it will be the best for the drivers and the constructor.”

He was then asked how he felt hiring a driver who had been retired for three years. He responded:

“We are convinced that Michael will do well and that he’ll win again. Maybe not immediately, let’s give him some time, but an ace never disappoints. I’ve been impressed by his enthusiasm. Rather than a return, it seems to me like a new debut.”

Michael Schumacher will race in the Mercedes team this year alongside fellow German Nico Rosberg.

Jenson Button has downplayed the advantage that Lewis Hamilton over him this year, but admits it will take time for him to adapt into his new team.

In an interview with Reuters: He said: “”I’m not going to say he (Hamilton) starts with a big advantage. I will say that it is all new to me with this team.”

“Maybe if I stayed where I was it would have been harder to get a second title. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so motivated. But moving to where I am now I think it has really motivated me,” he said.

“It is something that really excites me and something I am going to work really hard on achieving with the team this year.”

When asked about racing against Michael Schumacher again, he said: ”

“I think it is amazing for the sport,” he added “I think having four world champions racing, and one of them who has achieved more than anyone else in the sport, is great.”

“It’s an unusual decision by Michael but he’s obviously got his reasons… you’ve got to say fair play to Ross [Brawn] for getting him on board. It’s great having him back on the grid and I look forward to the challenge this year with him.”